Releasing Demons
by Wild Force Ranger
Summary: Don't read this unless you've read the other Allies stories. So why does Eric bother Tara so much? Allies, Book Five.
1. Default Chapter

Author's note: Hey, guys. Dominic and True_Blue, glad you're back; I was getting worried there. Hey, Psycho, nice to hear from you.

In a week or so there'll be an AU version of Torn in Two going up on my website; I wrote it on request, but I'm not posting it here.

The rating's a little higher on this one, guys, though you won't need it till the last chapter; implied nastyness ahoy!

Releasing Demons

Beginnings

The party on the Animarium had ended. Most of the Rangers had either gone to bed or were asleep in the courtyard. Cole was out talking to the Lion. Princess Shayla had returned to the fountain, and Merrick had gone back to Willie's. Alyssa looked around and nodded—everything was normal.

Or almost everything. Tara was sitting by the fountain.

It wasn't unusual to see her on the Animarium, but she rarely spent the night; she preferred to go back to her own house, especially since her departure and return. Sometimes the Rangers compromised by having their parties there, but usually she just asked someone to take her home.

"Tara?" Alyssa asked softly. "Do you want to go home?"

"No. Thank you, no." 

"Are you all right?" She knelt beside Tara, who hadn't looked away from the fountain.

"Yes. The fountain reminds me of someone I knew, that's all."

"Who was it?" Tara didn't answer for a moment.

"I told you once that I choose not to fall in love."

"Yes."

"I haven't always." She sat in silence for a long moment. Finally Alyssa sighed softly.

"You don't have to tell me."

"No, but…I would like to."

"Go ahead." Alyssa said instantly, shifting so she was sitting next to her.

"It was…a long time ago. Before I visited Animaria; in fact, it was why I visited Animaria…"

__

This country is a lot like home was, Thariin thought to herself. _Trees everywhere…and all untouched by men._

She'd been in this country for some weeks now, having wandered to its' shores. She hadn't visited here in a long time. 

__

And the last time it was nothing. A lump of rock. I much prefer it this way. She nodded slowly. _We were good for this country._

"Hello, camp!" a voice called, disturbing her from her thoughts. "Anyone there?" 

Thariin sat up on her tree branch. "Who's there?"

"A traveller! May I come in?"

"If you want." She dropped lightly out of the tree and was kneeling demurely over her pot when the man came within sight.

"Nice spot." he said approvingly. 

"Thank you. Would you like something to eat? I was just about to."

"Thank you, I would. What are you having?"

"Rabbit stew."

"My favourite." She smiled.

"I haven't a spare plate; do you have one?"

"I do. Let me…now where is it…ah. Here." He held out a battered plate. Smiling, she loaded it with stew and he settled to eat it.

"Mmm…thank you."

"You're welcome." Filling her own plate, Thariin settled to eat it, carefully examining her companion at the same time.

__

["Hold it!" Alyssa said suddenly.

"What?" Tara asked.

"You told me you couldn't cook."

"No, I told you I don't cook. And I don't, not on a cooker or microwave. Let me at that fire and I'll cook you a feast. But I don't cook indoors."

"Oh." Alyssa nodded slowly. "Right. Sorry. Go on."

"Where was…oh yes, I was examining my new companion, wasn't I…"]

He was older than she was; maybe twenty or a little younger. _Scratch that…he's older than I *look*. I still have a lot of years on him. He's cute, though._

Thick brown hair topped a gentle face, with piercing eyes in a very deep blue. He was taller than she was, dressed in clothes fine enough to scream, 'Nobility!' But he wasn't wearing any jewellery, and that was unusual; at this time, in this place, everyone wore jewellery.

"Have you finished?" He hadn't looked up from his plate.

"Excuse me?"

"Have you finished looking at me? You're making me self-conscious." Thariin grinned, looking away.

"You mean you're not used to it yet?" When she looked back he was studying her.

"You don't know who I am, do you."

"No. I only came here recently."

"Where from?" 

"I don't think the name would mean anything to you."

"Try me."

"Gaul."

"Oh, yes. Past Brittania, right? The Romans rule there, I hear." She nodded.

"Yes. I like it much better here."

"Why?" She gestured around them.

"Romans don't like trees. They cut them down whenever they can. I prefer to have trees around me."

"I sympathise with the Romans, although I wouldn't cut them down for no reason."

"How can you say that?" Absently, she scooped out a second helping of stew for each of them.

"Look around you." He gestured. "The Romans are soldiers and they fight on level ground. In the forest you can't see more than a few feet."

"So that gives them the right to destroy a beautiful, living creature?" He frowned. "Trees are alive, you know. Not alive like us, but they feel and react, they breathe and grow…"

"You're not comparing a human being to a tree?" Thariin's eyes flashed.

"Why not?"

The boy laughed. "It's obviously…"

"Look behind you." Thariin interrupted him. The boy turned and saw…

"Trees. I can see trees any time."

"No. _Look _at them." She moved to kneel beside him, pointing carefully. "See the way the branches bend?"

"Yes."

"Now look under them. See the sapling there? The bigger tree protects it from the wind and rain, keeps it safe. How is that different from a human parent with a child?"

"It's a tree." He looked back at her, raising an eyebrow. "It's just a tree."

"You're an idiot." she muttered, lifting her plate again.

"You really don't know who I am."

"Should I?" He shook his head quickly.

"No, not at all. I just…at home most people know who I am."

"When I lived at home everyone knew who I was. It got…restricting, after a while." Thariin looked away, occupying herself with clearing up her plate. 

"Is that why you're here? Gaul is a long way for a girl to come." She shrugged.

"I was bored at home. And there was no one left there anyway. So I came."

"I heard," he scrunched closer to her, "that the Romans don't let their girls do anything without a man's permission."

"That's true."

"So how'd you get out here on your own?"

"I'm not Roman. So I don't really care what they think."

"Not…Then what were you doing in Gaul?"

"I wanted to see what it was like."

"And you just…went. All by yourself?"

"Why not?" She looked up at him.

"Well, 'cos you're…you're…"

"What? A girl?"

"No! Well, yes, I mean _obviously _you're a girl," he gave her a slow, appreciative look to match his tone, "but I was going to say you're young."

"I'm older than I look." She put her plate back in her pack and looked at him. "Are you staying?"

"What?"

"Staying for the night or moving on?"

"Uh—staying, I guess, if you don't mind. It'll be dark soon."

"Why would I mind? Just don't chop down any trees." He nodded.

"Do you have a name?" he asked suddenly.

"Many."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"Which one would you like?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You don't have to tell me. I just don't want to be calling you 'hey you' all night."

"Were you going to be talking to me all night?" Seeing the look on his face, she laughed and relented. "All right. You can call me…Deirbhile."

"Deirbhile. I'm Cerbhall."

"Ker-Vall." she repeated carefully. "What does it mean?"

"Brave in battle." She laughed. "What? My father's idea. He's Cathal."

"Ka-hal?"

"Strong in war."

"Of course." She smiled. "Pre-emptive naming."

"What?" She lay back, linking her hands behind her head.

"There are places where children aren't named until they're well into their teens. That way, their names can be tailored to them. And then there are places, like here, where children are named for what their parents want them to be."

"So why Deirbhile?"

"I like the name." She rolled over, looking past the fire at him. "Are you brave in battle?"

"Don't know. I've never been in battle." He shrugged. "I like to think I would be."

"Very few men are brave in battle." She looked straight into the fire. "Almost no one remembers why they're fighting…it's just, 'He's trying to kill me, I'd better kill him first.' But not so coherent."

"And the ones who do remember?" Cerbhall asked softly.

"Those are the ones you need to watch out for. If they're not affected, they're dangerous."

"Dangerous." She looked back at him.

"You've never been in a battle? When you have, you'll understand." With that she rolled onto her other side and closed her eyes. Cerbhall shifted onto his back, linking his hands behind his head, and stared up at the stars.


	2. Discoveries

Author's note: Hey Dominic! I was getting worreid, actually, but I'm glad you're still with me.

If I can't post on a Friday in future I'll post the following Tuesday. I know I sometimes post at odd times, but from now on it'll be one of those two days.

Discoveries

["What did Der-vla mean?" Taylor asked. She'd wandered into the courtyard a few minutes earlier.

"There were two meanings for Deirbhile. Daughter of a poet; or daughter of the land."

"Well, we know which one you were using." Alyssa said.

"Yes. Where was I?"

"You were asleep." Taylor prompted her.

"Do you even know what we're talking about?"

"More or less. Go on!"

"All right. I woke up early the next day…]

Cerbhall yawned as he sat up. A month or more of sleeping outside had accustomed him to the aches, but he could never get used to rising so early.

"Deirbhile?"

"Over here." He turned to see her sitting by the fire, poking absently at it. "I don't have any bread or anything, only the stew. Is that all right?"

"I have bread. I think. Let me have a look." He rooted through his pack, eventually hauling out a loaf well-wrapped in cloth. Thariin took it from him and cut some hunks, handing him back the much smaller loaf when she was finished. She served up the stew and they ate in silence.

"Tell me something, Cerbhall." she said when they'd finished. He looked up expectantly. "Why don't you wear jewelry?"

"It attracts bandits."

"_You_ attract bandits." Surprised, he stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Your clothes and bearing indicate nobility. Even this." she held up a piece of bread. "This didn't come out of any village oven. It's too fine. No villager has flour this well-milled."

He grinned, shaking his head. "I've been wandering for a month, and no one who didn't know me figured it out…certainly not after one night."

"I was raised in a royal court." She turned away, busily cleaning her plate. "It wouldn't be like yours, but some things are always the same. So who are you?" 

He rose to his feet and bowed. "Prince Cerbhall, son of King Cathal of Kells, heir to the throne of Tara."

"Nice to meet you." She looked him over carefully. "No, you're just going to have to change your clothes."

"Excuse me?"

"Your clothes. We'll have to trade them in the next village."

"Excuse me?" he repeated helplessly.

"Were you planning on leaving?"

"I…what? No, I…"

"If you're planning on traveling with me you'll have to change your clothes. I haven't been royalty in a long time, so I know how to hide it. You don't. So we'll have to get you new clothes."

"What if I wasn't planning on traveling with you?" She grinned.

"I know your customs…no prince in your family would ever leave a lady to travel alone. Even a lady he didn't like, or one who could protect herself. It's Just Not Done."

"Maybe I'm not a very good prince."

"Ah, I know your family as well. There hasn't been a bad prince in the last twenty generations or more." She grinned up at him.

"You don't know my cousins, obviously." he muttered, packing up his belongings.

"Good thing they're not in line. Tell me, Cerbhall—you know this place. Where shall we go?"

Cerbhall looked around, orienting himself.

"There's a village not far from here. We can get more supplies and you can decide where you're going from there."

"Sounds good to me."

["That started our journeys. We traveled for a month, maybe two…we weren't keeping track." Tara sighed faintly. "I enjoyed it, very much. Cerbhall was sweet, and not hung up on being a prince. His subjects obviously liked him…" She trailed off.

"You liked him!" Max said suddenly. The Shark Ranger had come out to get a drink earlier and, just like Taylor, had been caught up in the story.

Tara sent him a withering look. "What did you think we were talking about?"

"He wasn't here for the start of the story." Alyssa reminded her.

"Oh. Right." Tara rose to her feet. "I need to get a drink; Alyssa, you want to explain?" 

"Sure." Alyssa agreed quickly, and by the time Tara came back everyone knew what was going on.

"So where was I?" Tara asked, settling back down.

"You'd been wandering for a couple months." Max supplied.

"Where was this, anyway?" Taylor asked.

"It had a different name then…Ireland."

"Ireland?" Max repeated.

"Yup. Back then it was Banba."

"I thought the old name was Erin."

"It was. Banba was older than that, though. Remember this is thirty-one hundred years ago." She shifted slightly, looking back into the fire again. "So we wandered…and yes, Max, I liked him. And during those months, he started to like me too. And then it got to be winter…"]

"Deirbhile?" Cerbhall asked quietly. Thariin looked up from the fire she'd been building.

"Yes?"

"I need to go home."

"Oh." She looked back at the fire. Cerbhall knelt beside her.

"It's just…my father will need me during the winter."

["Wouldn't you have been speaking Latin?" Taylor interrupted.

"Proto-Gael, actually. You want me to repeat this verbatim?"

"No, but…you're very informal."

"I'm paraphrasing. Give me a break, Taylor, it's thirty…"

"…one hundred years ago!" the three Rangers chorused. "Ok." Taylor added. "Objection withdrawn. You can be informal if you want."

"We were very formal at the time. You'll just have to pretend." She hesitated.

"Cerbhall's father would need him during the winter." Alyssa supplied. At Tara's surprised look, she grinned. "You keep forgetting where you are."

"People keep interrupting me." Tara corrected her. "So Cerbhall was groveling…"]


	3. Yet More Meetings

Author's note: True_Blue, can I make a friendly suggestion? LAY OFF THE DAMN SUGAR!!!!

Thanks for the review, though. Guys, I'm going on holidays next week, but I should be able to update anyway as normal.

Yet More Meetings

"That's why he let me wander around for so long. I promised to be home by winter."

"And winter's coming." Thariin murmured.

"Yeah."

"All right."

He looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Sure. I can't keep monopolizing you, after all."

"Come with me." She stared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Come with me. Come meet my family."

"Cerbhall…" she slid away from him a little. "I don't…"

"You're a princess. They'll love you." He looked up through his eyelashes. "Like I do."

__

["Is this gonna be sappy?" Max asked, making a face.

"It's a love story, Max. You don't have to listen."

"Can't you just leave out those parts?"

"No! Those parts are the point of the whole thing."

"Yeah, but 'through his eyelashes'? What is that?"

Tara looked up, spotting Cole coming into the clearing.

"You know that look Cole gets sometimes, girls?" she asked. Alyssa nodded. Taylor made a face. "Cerbhall invented that look."

"What look?" Cole asked, ambling over and sitting by Alyssa.

"Your puppy-dog look."

"My what?"

"We'll explain later. Go on, Tara. He's just proclaimed his love." Taylor prompted her.

"Who has?" Cole asked.

"Later! Tara's telling a story." Alyssa said firmly. Cole nodded meekly.]

"Just because I'm a princess?" she asked softly.

"No!" He wrapped his arms around her. "Because you're sweet…" he kissed her quickly. "And kind…" he kissed her again. "And beautiful…"

"Let go." She slid out of his arms and pushed him away, laughing. "Breakfast's going to burn."

"I don't care." he said, helping her rescue the food. "Will you come with me?"

Thariin sat back on her heels, studying him for a long time. "I'm not really one for staying in one place, Cerbhall." she said softly.

"Then we won't stay. As soon as spring comes we'll go again. Please, Deirbhile? Please come home with me." Smiling faintly, Thariin touched his cheek lightly.

"Of course I'll come with you."

"Really? You will?"

"Sure. I'd like to see the court you're the Crown Prince to." Cerbhall puzzled his way through the sentence, then he frowned suddenly.

"Hey! That was an insult!"

"Yep. Eat your breakfast."

"You just insulted me!"

"Get used to it, love. Now eat your breakfast so we can go home."

Cerbhall steered Thariin through the throne room towards the dais. The court of Tara was housed in a long, low-roofed room, full of smoke and noise and people. It was as far from their months of aimless wandering as could be. Dogs wandered through the room, getting underfoot and yelping loudly. People yelled at each other, calling for food or ale or conversation; serving girls scurried from table to table, trying to avoid wandering hands.

"Are you sure this is your court?" Thariin asked softly. "It doesn't seem right."

Cerbhall threw her a quick smile over his shoulder, not slowing down. "Guess we're about to find out." He stopped in front of the main dais; Thariin stood behind him and slightly to one side, where she could see what was happening.

"Cerbhall!" The king had spotted him and rose to his feet. "What do you think you're doing?" Thariin poked Cerbhall pointedly in the shoulder, but he ignored her. "You've been missing for months! A fine way for the Crown Prince to behave."

"Forgive me, Father. I've been…" he hesitated, looking to Thariin for inspiration. She looked blandly back at him. "…getting to know our lands and people." Cerbhall finished in a rush.

"Getting to know the girls, anyway." a voice just on the edge of hearing said. Cerbhall spun, staring out over the crowd.

"Who said that? Stand up, Adomhán!"

__

["A-do-van's an insult." Tara explained briefly. "It means coward. Anyone running away from battle was labeled Adomhán as a matter of course, and refusing to answer to that was an offense. Especially if the prince called you."

"So…was this guy a coward, or was he called Adomhán?" Cole asked.

"Cerbhall was insulting him." Tara said, smiling.]

There was some shuffling among the crowd, until a man a bit older than Cerbhall stood up. Unusually for this place, his skin was sallow and his eyes were very dark.

"Conchobar." Cerbhall spat. "Know this now!" he yelled to the room at large. "Anyone insulting this girl insults me!"

"I wasn't insulting her, Cerbhall, I was insulting you." Conchobar drawled lazily.

"Anyone insulting my son insults me!" the king bellowed. Conchobar hesitated.

"My apologies." He bowed. "I spoke in haste. Please accept my apology."

"Accepted." Cerbhall said shortly, turning away.

"I hope the girl's worth it, Cerbhall." the king said softly.

"She is, Father. May I present her?"

"You'd better, I suppose." The King turned and sat back down. "Present your companion, Cerbhall." he bellowed over the noise of the hall.

"Father, may I present the Princess Deirbhile?" Thariin bowed politely.

__

["I have a question." Danny said suddenly. Tara jumped.

"Where did you come from?"

"If you were paying more attention you'd have seen him." Cole told her solemnly.

"Never mind. What's the question?"

"Why did you bow when he presented Deirbhile?"

"Because I was Deirbhile, Danny."

"You weren't using your real name?"

"Danny, I don't use my real name now_. Or at least, I don't use the name my parents gave me…I've had a lot of names."_

"Can't you just use one or the other for the story?" Danny asked.

"Fine. Any time I say Deirbhile, that's me, ok? Right…"]

"We are glad to meet the Princess." the king declared. 

"Thank you, King Cathal. Your court is the wonder of many people I have met in my travels, but now I am here I see they have scarcely done it justice."

"Smooth." Cerbhall murmured.

"I have my moments." she answered softly.

"Will you sit with us, Princess?" the queen asked. Deirbhile bowed again.

"Thank you, your Majesty, but is there somewhere I could clean up a little? We've been traveling for several days to reach here."

"Certainly." She gestured to one of her servants. "Show the princess to my quarters and help her tidy herself." The girl bowed and turned to Deirbhile.

"This way, my Lady."

"I'm not…" Deirbhile started. Cerbhall took hold of her arm.

"You are." he whispered. "Here, you are." Deirbhile surrendered and followed the girl out of the hall.


	4. Being Royalty

Author's note: Hey guys!

True, like Tara says, the romance's the point. But never fear, the story's halfway over now.

Dominic; promise, promise, promise, there is Cole/Alyssa stuff coming. Promise.

Being Royalty

When she returned she looked every bit a princess. Dressed in a rich gown and wearing jewelry, she glided down the hall and stopped in front of the dais to curtsey.

"We are honored, my Lady." the King said, rising to bow. Cerbhall came around the table and extended his hand to her; she accepted it easily, allowing him to help her to a seat beside the queen.

"Isn't this your seat?" she murmured.

"Every man in this hall would attack me if I put you anywhere else." he answered, helping her into the seat. "I've been demoted…may as well face it."

"Awww." Deirbhile said, smiling.

"Tell me, Princess." the Queen said. "How did you manage to tame my son?"

"I don't really know. Good luck, I guess."

"Where are you from, Deirbhile?" the King asked.

"It's only a small country, my Lord; it lies beyond Gaul, to the south. We are not a famous country, nor do we seek to be."

"Do you stand to inherit?" King Cathal went on. Cerbhall groaned, sinking his head into his hands.

"No, my Lord, I have an elder brother. Besides, where I come from, women rule only occasionally."

"How odd." the Queen commented. "Some of our country's most famous and brilliant rulers have been women."

"One of our most loved rulers was a woman as well," Deirbhile told her, "but as a rule our men rule."

"Tell me, son," the King said, turning away from Deirbhile, "what did you find out while familiarizing yourself with our lands?"

"Well, for one thing," he leaned forward, "I think we ought to stop clearing trees for farmland." Deirbhile stared at him.

"Why, exactly?" the King asked.

"Cleared land isn't good for farming anyway. Besides, we haven't the people to farm the land we have." He caught Deirbhile's eye and grinned.

["That's so sweet." Alyssa said, clasping her hands together. "He was sticking up for you."

"He didn't even know what he was sticking up for." Taylor protested.

"He didn't have to." Tara said, smiling. "He knew it was important to me, so that made it important to him."

"Awww!" Alyssa said again.

Cole smiled, wrapping an arm around Alyssa's shoulders. "Go on, Tara. What happened next?"

"Next? Well, winter came. I was housed with Cerbhall and his parents…not with them_ with them, Max…and we stayed all winter. Cerbhall helped his father, and I drifted around and looked pretty. And then spring came."]_

"Deirbhile?" Cerbhall came out into the courtyard, looking around. When he didn't see her, he stopped a nearby guard. "Where is the Lady Deirbhile?"

"I think she's on the wall, my Lord."

"Thanks." Cerbhall made his way up onto the wall and found Deirbhile staring out over the fields. "Love? Is something wrong?"

"No…" she leaned back against him, still looking out. "It's spring, Cerbhall."

"It is." He tried to look at her, but he couldn't quite manage it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She straightened, turning to look at him. "It's nothing."

"It's not. What's wrong, love?"

"I just…I told you before, Cerbhall. I'm not one to stay in one place for very long."

"We've only been here a few months."

"I know, Cerbhall. But…" she shook her head quickly. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She looked down into the courtyard. "I'd love to go for a ride, Cerbhall. Could you arrange it?"

"Of course. Do you want an escort?"

"No, I'll be fine, thanks." He turned away, hesitated, and came back.

"Can I come?"

"Why, exactly," Cerbhall asked, helping her to dismount, "are we all the way out here?" Deirbhile smiled at him, leading her horse towards a strand of trees. Looping the reins loosely over a branch, she turned back to face him.

"There are things about me you don't know yet, love. Things that are important."

"What kind of things?"

"Who I am."

"Deirbhile." he said promptly.

"That's not all I am."

"It's enough for me." She smiled faintly; he would leave it at that if she let him, she knew.

"No, Cerbhall. Who I am is…it's important that you know."

"So tell me." he said, throwing his reins over another branch. Tara nodded, mentally preparing for this. 

"Well…"

{"How did he take it?" Danny asked, when Tara hesitated.

"Pretty well, actually. Better than I thought he would. He didn't think it mattered as much as I had made out."

"It doesn't." Cole pointed out.

"Not to you, but you're slightly more used to odd things than most."

"What?"

"Cole, you live on a floating island, talk to mechanical animal spirits, and your mentor and team mate are both over three thousand years old. Any of this sound familiar?"

"Oh." He had the grace to look abashed. "Right."

"Yes. Right." She grinned then, reaching out to him. "I'm only teasing, Cole."

He took her hand without hesitating, smiling. "I know. I don't see why it was so important, though."

"Because Cerbhall was a prince." She sighed, looking at the fire again. "That was his next question, actually…"]

"It's not that big a deal." Cerbhall said idly. "Our Druid does magic all the time, and no one thinks anything of it."

"Cerbhall, it's not the same. His magic is something he _does. _Mine is something I _am." _She sat upright, looking away again. "You're a prince, love. You have to have an heir, and that's not something I can give you."

"I don't care." He sat up and caught her hand. "Someone else can reign. I don't care, I just want you."

"You say that now…" she sighed, letting him pull her closer. "But you're a good prince, Cerbhall, and some day you'll be a good king. And one of the things a king has to do is provide an heir."

"I'll find another way. We'll think of something." He pushed her away slightly, turning her so he could see her face. "You were going to leave, weren't you." She nodded unflinchingly; he deserved that much from her. "Why? Because of that one thing?"

"Because I'm not human, Cerbhall. I can look human, but I'm not. There are factions in your father's court who would try and have you deposed if this came out. And _that _would put one of your cousins on the throne." She smiled gently. "I've met them. Your kingdom would be history in a few years."

"Why are you doing this?" Cerbhall asked. There was a note of desperation in his voice. "Don't you want to be with me?"

"Of course I do, Cerbhall. You know that. But it's not…"

"Then the rest of it doesn't matter." he interrupted her. "I want to be with you, you want to be with me…"

"But it's not that _simple, _Cerbhall."

"Yes. It is. If you really want it, then it is." Deirbhile laughed abruptly, pulling away from him. "What? What's funny?"

"I don't know why I'm trying to talk you out of this." She turned back to face him, still smiling. "I love you. And if you're willing to risk being with me, I can do no less." Cerbhall smiled, wrapping his arms around her again.

"Don't worry, love. I have a plan."


	5. Losses

Author's note: This chapter's kind of…well, you can skip it if you want, True. Dominic, thanks for the nice review. True, if you do skip, make sure and come back next week; the last chapter's the most important.

Losses

["What was the plan?" Max asked eagerly, when Tara paused to take a drink.

"You know, it's getting really late. Maybe I should finish this another night." Tara said slyly. She made as though to rise, and at least three pairs of hands shot out to catch her. Laughing, she settled back down, lying beside the fire this time. "All right, I can take a hint. Um…the plan? Cerbhall talked to the court Druid, who had always been fond of him, and explained the situation. A couple of days later, the Druid had a 'vision' and revealed me as a lost descendant of the Tuatha de Danann…they were a race in very old Ireland, who had magical powers. A lot of them were worshipped as gods, even when I was there. There were objections…noticeably from Conchobar…but after a few demonstrations everyone was convinced. Cerbhall was given a dispensation to marry me…"

"Hold it." Taylor said. "Why did he need a dispensation? Surely as prince he could marry anyone he wanted?"

"No, not quite. There was a very old tradition in Ireland that said the king had to be physically perfect in order to rule; there was a famous king, Nuada, who lost his hand in battle and was forced to give up the throne. The restriction extended to his queen; and I'm not human, remember. In the de Danann times it didn't matter, but in Cerhall's time people were suspicious."

"But you said they had Druids. Weren't Druids magicians?" Alyssa protested.

"That was understood. I was unknown. But anyway, Cerbhall was allowed to marry me. There were loud complaints, but we ignored those."

"Who complained? Danny asked.

"Conchobar. The man just didn't like me." There was a faint shadow behind her eyes, but she didn't give them a chance to ask. "We moved out of the palace that spring; Cerbhall had a small dun—a fort—built for us some distance from Tara. We lived there very happily for a few years." She smiled faintly. "There was a fountain in the courtyard that always ran, no matter how cold it got, and the flowers always bloomed no matter the season. I owed Cerbhall that much."]

Cerbhall and Tara had been married for three years when the accident happened.

Cerbhall had been out with a hunting party; Tara had busy in the woods near the _dun _and didn't hear the horns as they returned. So she was faintly surprised to see the horses in the courtyard when she came back.

"Why is the prince back so early?" she asked a passing stableboy.

"They were attacked by a wolf, my Lady." the boy told her. "Prince Cerbhall returned with Lord Domnall, who was injured."

"Domnall?" Deirbhile repeated sharply. "Where are they?"

"I believe they're in the healer's hut, my Lady." Deirbhile turned without a word and hurried to the small room where the healer lived. Domnall's wife had been her maid until a few months ago, when she'd caught pneumonia and died.

__

["Hold it!" Taylor said. Tara suppressed a sigh and looked expectantly at the Eagle Ranger. "You're telling me you had pneumonia back then?"

"There wasn't a name for it. But people suffered with it. Can I please_ go on with the story, Taylor?"_

"I'm not stopping you."

"Actually, you are." Danny pointed out. "You're interrupting more than the rest of us."

"What does Do-nal mean?" Cole asked.

"Domnall? World mighty. He was a good man, and he doted on his daughter."]

Cerbhall came out of the room as she reached it; the look on her face told her everything she needed to know.

"Where's Aoife?" she asked softly.

"In the kitchens, I think. I was going…" he gestured briefly.

"I'll do it. You go and petition your father to have Domnall buried at Tara." She turned before he could object and went to the kitchens, where she found their cook entertaining the several children of the _dun._

"Aoife," she said quietly from the doorway, "Please come with me." Startled, Aoife pulled off a passable curtsey and followed her out into the kitchen gardens. Aoife was a pretty child of perhaps seven years old, with long dark hair and dark eyes.

"Aoife, I need to tell you something very important." Deirbhile said carefully. "Your father was out hunting with the prince today." 

Aoife nodded. "He was going to try to catch me a rabbit. Did something happen?"

"I'm afraid so. The group was attacked by a wolf. Your father tried to protect the prince, and the wolf killed him." Aoife's eyes went very wide.

"My father…" Deirbhile wrapped her arms around her.

"It's all right, Aoife. We'll take care of you."

"I wish my mother was here." Aoife's voice was almost inaudible. Deirbhile nodded in agreement.

"I know, Aoife. I know."


	6. The Cusp of the Matter

Author's note: OK, so this is the chapter that earned this story its' rating. Nothing graphic, but implied nastiness all over the place.

True, you will be written in, but it won't post for a while yet.

The Crux of the Matter

["We settled Aoife with a couple in the _dun. _She was a good child; settled in very quickly. When she got a bit older, Cerbhall started training her to be his heir."

"Really?" Cole asked in surprise.

"Why not? He had to have someone, and I couldn't provide him one. Aoife was an orphan, and women could rule just as easily as men could in those days. She was a smart, brave person, and she was well trained as a warrior." She frowned. "There isn't very much more. Cerbhall's father died about ten years after we married; we moved back to Tara. Cerbhall got very busy then; he was ruling most of the island, bar the lands to the south, so Aoife and I kept each other company a lot of the time." She shrugged. "Cerbhall grew old, one year at a time, and eventually he died. I stayed long enough to see Aoife crowned, and then I left. I ended up in Animaria, which is a whole 'nother story."

"What happened to" Cole snapped his fingers, trying to remember. "Conchobar. That was it."

"Conchobar?" The shadow was back in her eyes. "He was still alive when I left. I don't know what happened to him in the end."

"{What is it?}" Cole asked in very bad Animarian. "{Why does he scare you?}"

"I don't know what you mean." She rose to her feet, shaking off Cole's restraining hand.

"Yes you do." Cole rose as well.

"It's…Conchobar just wasn't a nice person, all right? Cerbhall had to deal with him; Conchobar was a noble. And as Cerbhall's wife, I had to deal with him as well. But I hated him. He was rude, and ignorant, and he lusted after me and wasn't afraid to show it."

"What _happened?" _Cole repeated softly.

"He…" Tara shook her head. "It's not something I talk about, or think about. It's just…not. Please, Cole." Cole shook his head slowly.

"I think you need to tell us, Tara. Or not us, maybe, but someone. How long, three thousand years? You can't carry everything alone."

"I told you, I don't think about it."

"Yes you do." Tara shifted uncomfortably glancing at the silent Rangers before looking back at Cole.

"It's…"

"Tara." Cole said very quietly, "You can trust us."

"I _know _that, Cole." She nodded slowly. "All right, then. I may as well finish." She hesitated before sitting down.

"What?" Taylor asked quietly; they all sensed whatever she was about to say was important.

"Just making sure Merrick hadn't snuck up on us."

"Why?" Alyssa asked.

"I don't want him to know about this. All right?"

"Why not?" Max asked.

"Because I've had more than enough of his knee-jerk reactions. I don't need him wanting to know why I didn't tell him before, and why I didn't…" she trailed off, unconsciously rubbing her cheek. If they looked very closely, the Rangers could still see the faintest remains of the bruise Merrick had left there; the mark would never fade now. "I just…I don't want him to know. All right?"

"He won't think any less of you." Cole murmured. "Neither will we."

"We'll see about that, Cole. Just…promise me?"

At their reluctant nods, she went on, "I loved Cerbhall. And he loved me. And we were very happy." She looked away. "Conchobar didn't like that. He took steps."

"What kind of steps?" Cole asked. Tara sighed.

"Conchobar…was jealous. He wanted…me, I guess. He knew what I could do—they all did, then—and he had this happy little fantasy in his head where Cerbhall died, I married him, and he gained the throne with my help. And eventually his fantasy wasn't enough for him, and he took steps."

"You don't have to tell us everything. Not the personal things." Cole said, when she hesitated again. He seemed to be having second thoughts. "You don't…"

"Ah, I can't leave you there, Cole. No, it's just…I've tried not to think about him for a very long time."

"He's right. Don't tell us anything you're not comfortable with." Taylor told her. Tara nodded, smiling.

"Thank you. That…makes it easier. Cole's right, though, this is something I need to…to get rid of." She took a deep breath, turning again to look directly into the fire.

"Conchobar waited. He knew how to bide his time. Eventually, he and Cerbhall were alone, hunting some way away from the _dun._ He returned, carrying Cerbhall. Injured, he said, thrown from his horse."

"You weren't watching?" Alyssa asked.

"Not then. And by the time I looked, it was too late. The damage was done.

"Cerbhall didn't die. But he had hit his head. And the blow…he developed something like schizophrenia."

"Schizophrenia." Cole repeated.

"It's an illness where, basically, someone has two personalities. Cerbhall was, mostly, the same person. But sometimes, he was different."

"Different how?" Danny asked. Tara shrugged.

"Colder. More violent. Cerbhall hated fighting, and wars. But his other side…

When Cerbhall was…not himself, he didn't really know me. He thought I was one of his handmaidens. And Conchobar took full advantage of that."

"Advantage." Taylor repeated slowly, starting to realise where this was going.

"There was a—not a law, more a tradition—that royal handmaidens were there to satisfy any desire their masters had. *Any* desire. And if Conchobar came to him and said, 'I have a yearning for one of your handmaidens', well, Conchobar was a friend to the crown. And I, as a handmaiden, couldn't do anything about it. Cerbhall was my master and I had to obey him." She shrugged slightly.

"Don't do that." Cole said. "Don't shrug this off."

"It was a long time ago."

"I don't care." Cole said firmly. "What happened?"

"Cerbhall lived to be very old. And most of the time he was Cerbhall, and he loved me and I loved him. And Conchobar lived even longer, and he watched for Cerbhall's lapses and took as much advantage as he could."

"You never told Cerbhall, did you." Danny said suddenly.

"No. What would be the point? Cerbhall didn't remember what happened when he wasn't himself. I wasn't going to tell him he was handing me over to our enemy. I was surprised Conchobar never said anything, actually. Maybe he was afraid Cerbhall wouldn't change if he knew what was happening." She poked the fire for a moment. "After Cerbhall died I went looking for Conchobar. I found him, preparing to leave. He'd known, you see, that I would come for him." She sat silent for a long time.

"So what happened?" Max demanded. When she looked up, the fire gleamed on the tear streaks on his cheeks. "What did you do to Conchobar?"

"Nothing. I let him ride away."

"Why?" Danny demanded.

"I want to say because I realised it wouldn't bring Cerbhall back, that it was petty and useless taking any kind of revenge on him. But really it was because he scared me. He turned my husband against me. He hurt me, he used me. For years. I couldn't…I saw him and I froze. I couldn't have done anything to stop him if I'd wanted." She wrapped her arms around her knees. "He rode away, and I tracked him until he was well out of range…"]

__

Conchobar looked around, orienting himself. He was almost out of Cerbhall's lands.

"I wouldn't." Conchobar drew his horse in so sharply he almost broke the animal's neck. Deirbhile stepped calmly out from behind a small stand of trees and walked towards him.

"You!" Conchobar almost fell dismounting from his horse, pulling his sword free. "How did you…"

"I am an Elf." She raised her head proudly. "Now put down your sword and listen to me."

"Why? I don't listen to common whores."

Before he could move or react she had hit him across the face.

"If I am a whore you made me that way. Now…" she pulled the sword from his hand. "I will remind you that you are standing on earth, surrounded by rocks and trees. It would be in your own best interests to listen to me."

He rubbed his hand slowly across his face. "I'm listening."

"I spoke to the court Druid before I left. Nice man, very helpful. Doesn't normally do curses, you know. Of course you know…he said you'd threatened him." She was playing absently with the sword as she spoke. "He's changed his mind. He knew what you were doing, you know. No one else did—you managed that—but he knew. So he's going to perform a curse. If you stay on Cerbhall's land it will find you, eventually."

"I wasn't planning on staying here." Conchobar said roughly.

"I hadn't finished." She looked up at him, and despite himself Conchobar took a step back. "This is Cerbhall's land, and I love Cerbhall. I won't defile his land by killing someone like you here. But step off his boundaries, and I will find you and I will kill you." She grinned, a predatory grin. "And I can kill you very slowly, if I want. And you would deserve it and no one would mourn you." She threw him his sword abruptly; fumbling, he managed to catch the hilt. "Those are your choices. Stay here, and face the curse. Or leave, and face me."

"That's not a choice." Conchobar protested.

"It's as much a choice as you ever gave me." She turned. "I'll be leaving soon, but don't be mistaken. I can track you no matter where I am. And I will. Step off Cerbhall's land and pay the price." Conchobar stared at her for a long time before remounting. He turned his horse back towards the dun and rode off.

Deirbhile watched until he was out of sight. Then she sank to the ground and cried.

Above her the sky clouded over; rain began to fall. Deirbhile sat, not noticing the rain or the cold, not moving, for days. She returned to the dun only for the funeral.

Cerbhall was buried with full honours. Deirbhile used her influence—technically she was still Queen—to prevent Conchobar from speaking. He was kept back, away from the high mourners. The only other thing she did was talk with the Druid, in full view of the court.

After the funeral she asked Cerbhall's successor for a horse, and rode away.

"That's it." Tara sat back, leaning against the wall. "I never saw Conchobar again. I haven't been back there since. When I left I ended up in Animaria. Then Animaria fell…" she shrugged. "Life goes on. My life, anyway."

"I'm sorry." Alyssa said quietly. "I'm sorry I asked you…I'm sorry you had to live that."

"I was happy with Cerbhall. Even…that was all Conchobar's fault, not Cerbhall's. I didn't blame him for it."

"What happened to Conchobar?" Max demanded suddenly.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Did he leave, did the curse get him—what?"

"I don't know. I didn't bother to track him. And there was no curse."

"What?" Taylor asked.

"There was no curse. Nothing we could have done would have been as effective as letting him wonder. I did talk to the Druid. He arranged portents and signs every so often. But there was never any curse. He wasn't worth it." She nodded firmly. "He wasn't worth it."

Bushes rustled behind them, and they turned to see Merrick standing there. 

"Merrick." Taylor said, rising to her feet. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." He moved slowly into the group, sitting slightly apart from them and directly across the fire from Tara. Taylor settled back into her place as well, and the group sat in silence for a moment until Alyssa deliberately spoke.

"You know who Conchobar reminded me of, the way you described him? Eric." Taylor frowned slightly.

"Yes." Tara agreed. "Conchobar was very like Eric to look at, almost identical."

Taylor sat bolt upright. "Is that why you were afraid of Eric?"

"I wasn't afraid of him." Tara said irritably. "It threw me, that's all. He looks exactly like Conchobar."

Merrick was frowning. "And after you finished with him…you went straight to Animaria?"

"Not straight. But, yeah, within a few months."

"Why?"

"Because I could feel Animaria. Humans there didn't hurt the land, didn't hurt the animals. It called me. There was—and is—nowhere else like that."

"And Animaria fell…"

Tara shrugged. "Everything falls in the end. Nothing is forever."

"Except you." Alyssa said.

"Yeah." Tara looked away, back at the fire. "Except me."

The group sat in silence for a while, until finally Danny stood up.

"Thank you for sharing that." he said formally, bowing his head towards Tara. She returned the gesture without speaking, and Danny left the group, going back to his room.

Max scrambled to his feet, turning to follow Danny. He hesitated briefly and looked back at Tara, but she smiled gently at him and he grinned, racing after his friend.

There was silence between the five who were left for some time. Tara watched the fire burn, not thinking about anything much, until finally Taylor rose to her feet. The Eagle Ranger seemed about to speak, but after a moment she squeezed Tara's shoulder gently and left.

Alyssa yawned suddenly, waking herself out of her near-doze. Smiling apologetically, she rose to her feet. "I have class tomorrow. G'night." She paused by Tara; hunkering beside her, she said softly, "He loved you. Remember that, and don't think about the rest." Tara nodded, smiling.

"I've been doing that for years…thank you, Alyssa." Alyssa murmured something to Cole and left as well, smiling at Merrick on the way.

"And then there were three." Tara murmured.

"Do you want to go home?" Merrick asked quietly. "I'll take you."

"No, thank you. At this point it's as easy stay here…if you don't mind, Cole."

"Of course not." Cole said. Merrick rose to his feet, standing indecisively for a moment before moving away into the trees.

Once out of sight he stood, looking back at them. He could see them clearly in the firelight; Cole was speaking quietly. Tara seemed to be ignoring him, but he kept talking and after a minute, Tara buried her face in her hands. Her body shook as she wept, finally, for the husband she loved who'd unwittingly betrayed her so often.

Merrick watched, unseen, from the shadows, as Cole comforted her and let her cry. Then he moved away, leaving the Animarium and the warmth of the fire behind.


End file.
